The Rose
by moonlightjasmine
Summary: After the ending of Total Drama World Tour, Cody is feeling kinda down. That is untill he stumbles upon Heather singing and joins her . they try to lift each others spirits. Dedicated to zafnak.


Disclaimer: I do **NOT** own Total Drama.

…

Cody dejectedly walked through the courtyard of their hotel where all the contestants and peanut gallery (except Alejandro, no one knew where he went, last time he was seen was when the queen bee kicked him in the nuts causing him to slide down the volcano slope on a huge ice block) where either outside getting tanned by the gorgeous Hawaiian sun.

Further away he saw Gwen cuddling up to Duncan as they sat in the shade, her ivory skin standing out even more in her black swimming suit. But now instead of the warm tingle he felt when he usually saw her he felt hollow.

Cody would admit he crushed on Gwen as soon as he saw her, her self-confident attitude was what drew him in and, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, he had to admit though he probably cloud have handled it better if he had been thinking with his brain instead of his pants. But when he saw her closeness with Trent he figured if he couldn't make her happy he should at least make sure she was happy with Trent. If she was happy he was happy, at least that's what he told in the confessional. So when they finally hooked up he was happy for them, until they broke up in the second season.

He let hope fill him once more when they were put on the same team only for it to get crushed when Tyler blurted out those six words.

I. Saw. Gwen. And. Duncan. Kiss.

Admittedly he felt angry when he heard that, thus the fist to Duncan's face.  
>But he felt soul crushed when it finally settled in, Gwen had chosen delinquent Duncan over him.<p>

He continued to stroll down the beach when saw a familiar figure a small distance away.

It was Heather, the queen bee who won this season. She was sitting on a washed up drift wood and was staring out at the ocean ahead of them.

If someone told him at the beginning of this season that he would ever feel anything towards the queen bee other than contempt he would call them crazy and move on, but now at this moment he felt pity and dare he say it compassion towards the former most devious contestant.

Poor Heather, she had no one on her side, granted because of her former action in previous seasons, but in this one she had actually played the good gut, the hero. She had not even once failed the team on purpose and was the only one of their team to stand tall and look as if she would never break.

But now as he watched her sit hunched on the log he couldn't help but wonder how much had she suffered and how cloud she poddibly hid it all from the other contestants.

Deciding to go on and try to console her, even if he were to be his head chewed off later he was surprised by the quietest soprano voice singing a single stanza.

_**Some say love, it is a river**__**…**_ She softly sang in a voice she had never used in any of the songs required from the in this season.

…_**that drowns the tender reed**_. She finished. The next part came to his mind and he prayed that she wouldn't kill him after this.

_**Some say love, it is a razor, that leaves your soul to bleed**_. He sang out making her attention snap to him, her eyes widen in bewilderment, but not anger. She was not angry in fact she continued once more.

_**Some say love, it is a hunger, an endless aching need**__**. **_ She sand out the last note vibrating slightly...

_**I say love, it is a flower, and you, its only seed**_. They sang together, their voices mixing astonishingly well.

_**Its the heart afraid of breaking, that never learns to dance**_. Heather sang this part with so many feelings, it was impossible for Cody to miss what she meant. She was afraid, afraid of being dejected and cast out, afraid of being ridiculed and mocked. She was so afraid she shut everyone who could do that out, and thus her cold exterior began to form.

_**Its the dream afraid of waking, that never takes a chance**_. Cody sang this. Let's face it, he was afraid that something bad would happen if he took a risk so he stayed on the safe side, always regretting why he never took the chances.

_**Its the one that won't be taken, that cannot seem to give**__**.**_ Ah there it was, she was sad because of her cold exterior few dared to approach her, her attitude was what always became colder and colder as fewer and fewer tried as time went on.

_**It's the one afraid of dying, that never learns to live**__**. **_They sang together and a miniscule smile came on their faces when the aching pain in their hearts reasoned up a small bit.

_**When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long**___  
>They both had nights where they just snapped, where the dams they had been building had just collapsed. There were tears shed, fits thrown and spirits broken.<p>

_**And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong**__**  
><strong>_They had felt jealous for other people and couples, who had someone who loved the unconditionally. That green eyed monster called envy had raged and roared, but they smiled or scowled instead of subduing to it.

_**Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snow**__**.  
><strong>_They always heard this was completely true, it is darker before dawn. So if you just made it through the hard times good thing will come. Right?

_**Lies the seed, that with the sun's love in the spring becomes the rose.**__**  
><strong>_As the last note faded from their lips, they shared a single look, the previously depressing mood gone and a message passed between them. Without another word Heather turned tail and walked away but not before pausing slightly and without turning back to look at Cody she whispered.

"Thank you." She left half walking, half running.

Cody smiled, his spirits lifted once more from the last person he had expected.


End file.
